Eliot Engel, a veteran representative from New York, passed away on Friday due to complications arising from Parkinson’s disease, as confirmed by his family. He was 79 years old.
The dedicated Democrat and public servant died in his beloved Bronx, the very place that shaped him, according to a family statement. He was surrounded by close friends and family during his final moments.
“Eliot Engel devoted over 44 years to public service, championing the needs of his constituents and advocating for global peace and security,” read the family’s statement.
In his tenure spanning more than four decades, Engel represented areas in Westchester County and the northern Bronx, concluding his political journey in 2021.
His political career began in the New York State Assembly, where he served from 1977 until 1988. Engel then moved to the national stage, representing New York in the U.S. House of Representatives for 16 terms starting in 1989. His congressional run ended in 2020 after losing a fiercely contested Democratic primary to Jamaal Bowman.
Engel’s support among Democrats waned following a controversial incident at a press conference after George Floyd’s death, where he was overheard dismissing concerns about looting in his district.
“If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” he told Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. when he asked the beep if he could make remarks and was told there were too many people on the list.
A staunch supporter of Israel, the devout Democrat also served as the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2019 to 2021.
Engel — who was criticized for fleeing his COVID-stricken New York district in 2020 in favor of Maryland — “fought tirelessly for his constituents at home and for peace and security around the world,” the statement said.
The veteran New York rep was perhaps most known for being an “aisle hog,” where he would stake out the best seats in the House of Representatives, up to 12 hours in advance, to ensure he got his signature presidential photo-bomb during the State of the Union speeches and Congress addresses, ABC News reported.
Engel accidentally found himself an “aisle hog” in 1989 as a freshman member when he was trying to connect with a more powerful lawmaker and found himself in an aisle seat before the speech — then, some two decades later, the former Congressman would wait 10 to 12 hours in advance to ensure he was in his prized spot.
The left-leaning seat-hog told ABC News in 2015 that he enjoys being among the action and experiencing the energy up close — but being in his famous spot also gave him a 100% chance of being part of the highly-televised presidential entrance and handshakes before and after the address.
But in 2017, Engel broke his 29-year tradition when he decided not to save his coveted aisle position during President Trump’s first address to Congress and did not shake the president’s hand.
“I have deep respect for the presidency, and I will attend the joint session…The president needs to work with all people. And therefore, I will listen to what he has to say today, but I will not greet him and shake his hand,” Engel told ABC News at the time.
The former congressman has been mourned by many Democratic figures since his passing was announced earlier Friday.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Engel was “a gentle giant of a legislator, a trusted friend and a dear colleague to so many of us in the New York delegation and House Democratic Caucus family.”
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins mourned the loss of Engel, remembering him as “a fierce advocate for his constituents in Westchester and the Bronx.”
“He was a champion of human rights and as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he helped shape U.S. policy on the global stage while never losing sight of the needs of the communities he represented at home,” he said in a statement.
“His legacy is one of commitment, conviction and service. He understood that public office is a responsibility to speak up, to stand firm and to deliver for the people who entrusted him with their voice,” Jenkins concluded.
Congressman George Latimer, who now represents Engel’s former 16th district of New York, issued a statement Friday afternoon on Engel’s “lifetime” devotion to public service, as both a teacher and an elected official in Albany and Washington.
“His legacy consists of hard work on issues and kindness to all. His work in helping bring peace to the Balkans in the 1990s was a major accomplishment, among many others,” Latimer said. “We mourn with his family, and extend to them our deepest condolences. We intend to honor Eliot on the floor of the House. May he rest in peace.”
